Portfolio: Liberty Property honored for excellence

Liberty Property Trust of East Whiteland received the “Award of Excellence” at The Building of the Year Awards sponsored by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Baltimore.

The award honors Liberty’s building at 7361 Coca Cola Drive in Hanover.

The Award of Excellence recognizes achievement in commercial building management and operations, best practices and innovation.

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The 126,000-square-foot industrial building was developed by Liberty in 2007.

DONATION: Susquehanna Bank donated $1,000 to the Foundation for Pottstown Education which will benefit the Pottstown School District’S PEAK Program (Pottstown Early Action for Kindergarten Readiness).

The program has developed partnerships between the school district and private child-care facilities to coordinate efforts to ensure that students entering school are prepared to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered.

The donation was presented to the Foundation by Katrina Belcher, Susquehanna Bank vice president and marketing manager at the bank’s Pottstown office.

ACQUISITION: Superior Tube, founded in 1934 by Clarence Warden and S. Landis Gabel to produce small diameter steel tubing for a then-emerging aircraft industry, was sold to Massachusetts-based The Watermill Group, a private investment firm.

In tandem with the purchase of Superior Tube in Collegeville, Watermill acquired Fine Tubes Ltd., located in Plymouth, U.K., a company that’s just nine years younger than Superior Tube.

The Warden family had maintained ownership as Superior evolved over the years into a manufacturer specializing in high-precision metal tubing for a variety of blue-chip companies in industries as diverse as nuclear, aerospace and medical.

TIPS: The National Association of the RemodelingIndustry, a nonprofit trade association in Pottstown serving the construction industry and related businesses, offers tips for homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy:

• Get all details of any work offer in writing and carefully review it. Be sure you understand everything in the contract and that any verbal promises made are included in the contract.

• Determine how long the company has been in business and call organizations with which the contractor is affiliated, such as NARI or other trade associations, to determine the firm’s legitimacy.

• Ask for references and contact each one.

• Remember that any legitimate company that wants your business will be more than willing to allow you the time to do your homework. Don’t fall prey to highpressure tactics such as “this is the only chance you have” or “by tomorrow the extra materials will be gone.”